Display devices



April 1965 c. W.-ROSENBURG, JR 3,179,246

DISPLAY DEVICES Filed Jan. 18, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l '28 I o I F 2\O'\ INVENTOR m #.@w.

ATTORNEYS April 1965 c. w. ROSENBURG, JR 3,179,246

DISPLAY DEVICES Filed Jan. 18, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY 5 A nl 20,1965 c. w. ROSENBURG. JR 3,179,246

' DISPLAY DEVICES Filed Jan. 18, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORATTORNEYS I United States Patent 3,179,246 DISPLAY DEVKCES CharlesWarner Rosenburg, J1'., Buffalo, N.Y., assignor to F. N. Burt Company,Inc, Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 18, 1962, Ser.No. 1671975 Claims. (Cl. Mid-78) This invention relates to displaydevices and more particularly to containers, cartons, or easels adaptedfor the support and :display of articles of merchandise of a. widevariety, but especially for bottles or vials such as those containingcosmetics or the like.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novelzand improveddevice of the class mentioned, and one which is relatively easy andeconomical to manufacture and which will afford a maximum view of thearticle while at the same time, securing it against accidentaldislodgment and breakage.

In its preferred embodiments, the invention contemplates the provisionof a stand or easel which may be made of cardboard, plastic, or anyother suitable relativelystiff sheet material folded to provide twopanels adapted to be brought into contact face to face; each panelhaving an opening therein approximating the size and shape of thearticle to be displayed. There is provided a b and of thin, quiteflexible but fairly strong, and preferably transparent, tissue orplastic film. The ends of this film or web are secured respectively tothe inner surfaces of the two panels and the body of the film is loopedto form a sling adapted to surround the article when the latter isdisposed within the openings in the two pmels.

The relative dimensions of the openings and the Web are so related tothe contour of the article that. the loop or sling formed by the web ispulled taut about the article when-the two panels are brought togetherand secured face to face as, by means of an adhesive. Thus, the articleis supported securely within the substantially registeiing openings ofthe folded supporting card or easel,

and the securing of the film-like web to both panels at points somewhatremote from the line of folding, permits sufficient slack to form in theweb when the card is folded, to provide a snugly fitting sling tosurround and hold the article in place.

In one embodiment the invention provides a supplemental stiff panelwhich enters the loop of the sling to cause it to maintain the articlein properly centered position without protruding unduly through theregistering openings upon one side or the other of the support.

in certain other embodiments of the invention, the opening in one of thepanels may be made slightly smaller than the transverse profile of thearticle, so that the article is prevented frompassmg all the way throughthat opening. This expedient precludes the necessity for FIGURE 1 is aplan view of a blank assembly before r is creased for folding along theline F ice it is folded to provide a display device comprising oneembodiment of the invention and adapted for the support and display of asmall bottle or vial;

FlGURE 2 is a top plan View of the device shown in FIGURE 1 folded andsecured, and containing a vial as for cosmetics or medicinalcompositions or the like;

FlGURE 3 is a-plan view of a blank assembly for the provision of adisplay device comprising another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing one panel of the blank ofFIGURE 3 with an auriliary sling retaining panel folded to operativeposition;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same device, the mainpanels approaching final operative position;

FIGURE 6 is a view in perspective of the completed display device butwith the article removed for the sake of clearness of illustration;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a blank assembly for the preparation of stillanother modification of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is atop plan view showing the same blank in partly foldedcondition;

FIGURE 9 is a view in front elevation of the completed folded blank,however with the article removed and a portion of the sling broken away;

FIGURE 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line l=?lll of FIGURE9;

FlGURE 11 is a view in perspective of the completed display deviceformed from the blanks shown in MG URES 7-10 inclusive with a bottle orvial contained therein; and

FlGURES 12-16 inclusive are views similar to FIG- .URES 7-11respectively, but illustrating an embodiment of the invention adaptedfor the support and display of a bottle of tapering vertical aspect andof irregular cros section The arrangements provided by the presentinvention comprise generally easels or display cards preferably adaptedto stand upon their own bases and in a vertical position, although inthe broader aspects of the invention the devices may assume any angularposition. It is also to be undenstood that the materials of constructionof the devices may vary and whenever the. term card is employed, it maybe taken to embrace cardboard, sheet metal, or plastic within thecontext of the claims.

The device illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings is probablythe simplest in construction and is designed to display a small bottleor vial of rather regular contour, specifically of an ovalcross-section. The blank assembly from which this device is formed isgiven the general designation B and it will be seen that the blank Thisfold line in this particular embodiment divides the blank 13, into twopanels lit and ll, the panels having cutouts or openi ings formed inthem as at 12 and 13, these openings being of approximately the shape ofthe vertical cross-section of the bottle, ,vial, or other article to becontained.

At the lower edge of the blank B it is cut to provide flap 16 isfoldable with respect to the panel ll along the line is. At least one ofthe flaps l5 or-1 5 may be pro vided with a protuberance such assuggested at 19, the purpose of which will be described presently.

Spread across at least portions of the openings 12 and 13 with the blankB laid fiat, is a web 20 which is preferably of thin flexible but strongsheet material preferably transparent and which can be made from asuitable plastic such as cellophane, or thin sheets or film of polyvinylchloride, polyvinyl acetate, or polyethylene. This band or web ofmaterial 20 is secured at its ends by means of the adhesive 21 and 22 tothe inner surface of the respective panels and 11 at points quite remotefrom the fold line F and of course the band extends across both of theopenings 12 and 13.

Now when the blank B is folded along the line F to bring the inwardsurfaces of the panels 10 and 11 together into face-to-face contact, theweb 26 not being secured to the panels in the neighborhood of the foldline F is free to form a loop or sling and the slack developed betweenthe inner margins 23 and 24 of the openings 12 and 13 will permitportions of the web to bulge outwardly through the openings 12 and 13and when an article such as the small bottle or vial suggested at 25 inFIGURE 2 is placed within the two openings as the card is foldedtogether, the sling formed by the web 20 will embrace the vial andprevent it from being dislodged from between the openings.

A quantity of self-sealing adhesive such as suggested at 27 may bespread on the inner surfaces of the panels 10 and 11 so that when theyare pressed together as shown in FIGURE 2, they adhere strongly.

The flaps and 16 are folded at right angles along the lines 17 and 13and they form a base or support for the easel-like display cardstructure and at the same time the flap 1% swings in the oppositedirection and extends away from the vertical panels to form a ledge forthe support of the vial 25 upon its side of the structure.

The completed card may be decorated and inscribed in suitable fashion toadvertise the product and if desired, the openings suggested at 28 maybe formed for suspending the structure from above.

I In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 3-6 inclusive of the drawings, thedevice is modified in several particulars, both to accommodate anarticle or receptacle of frusto-conical configuration and'to control theposition of the loop of the sling web. In these figures the blank isdesignated B and is creased along the line F to provide panels 31) and31; openings 32 and 33 are cut in the panels at points preferablyequi-distant from the crease line F and a flap 35 may be bent along thecrease line line 26 to provide a base member similar to the one shown at16 in FIGURES 1 and 2. A flap 39 extends inwardly from the flap 35 tovprovide a supporting ledge corresponding to the one indicated at 12 inFIGURES 1 and 2.

In this present embodiment, however, the lower portion of the panel 30is modified considerably. The blank is so cut from the original sheetmaterial as to provide more than one flap or extension from the loweredge. First of all, there is a flap 40 which is hinged along the lines41 to the lower edge of the panel 30 and is provided with aledge-forming counter-flap or projection 42. The flaps 40 and 35 overlapto form the base of the device, and the ledges 39 and 42 similarlyextend in the opposite direction from the base flaps to form acomplementary ledge for the other side of the base of the article.

The panel 30 has hinged to its lower edge as at 44 a panel 45 which iscut away centrally to provide an opening 46 which is at least as largeas the openings 32 and 33 in the body portions of the panels 30 and 31.When the flap 45 is folded up against the inner surface of the panel 30it will be well concealed and will not interfere with the positioning ofthe article within the openings 30 and 33.

, Now the web 50 in this case has its ends secured to the inwardsurfaces of the panels 36 and 31 at points remote from the fold line Fand outwardly of the openings, as

indicated at 51 and 52, and it will be seen that the edge 55 of thesupplemental panel 45 when folded upwardly against the web 50 will bespaced from the fold line F a distance such as indicated at theright-hand side of FIG- URE 4 of the drawings. This will still permitslack to form in the web 50 equal to twice the distance of the edge 55from the fold line F and this will be sufficient to form the sling forthe article and at the same time prevent the loop portion of the slingfrom being dislodged unequally through the registering openings uponeither side of the device.

The elfect of this gauging or bracing panel 45 is clearly shown inFIGURE 5 of the drawings where the panels 30 and 31 are approachingtheir final face-to-face position. It will be clearly seen from thisview how the edge 55 of the supplemental panel 45 limits the movement ofthe web 56 from the fold line F which prevents it fromprotrudingunequally through either of the openings 32 or 33.

The arrangement is shown in final assembled form in the perspective viewof FIGURE 6 and it will be clearly understood how the sling formed ofthe web 50 serves to enclose an article disposed within the openings 32and 33 and prevent unequal protrusion upon either side of the device.

In FIGURES 7-11 inclusive of the drawings, another embodiment of theinvention is illustrated and in this case it is possible to rigidly andsecurely retain the article while at the same time permitting it toprotrude more than half-way through the opening in one of the panels.

The blank in this case is designated B and the fold line F forms twopanels 60 and 61, the panel 66 being provided with an opening 62 whichis at least as wide as the vertical section or profile of the article tobe retained, and the panel 61 is provided with a somewhat narroweropening 63 which is of less width than the maximum vertical section ofthe article. a

A flap 64 with a corresponding ledge-forming oppositely extending flap65, is hinged along the line 66 at the bottom edge of the panel 60 and abase flap 68 is hinged along the line 69 at the bottom of the otherpanel 61.

Now in this embodiment the web designated at 70 is secured at one edgeto the inner surface of the panel 60 outwardly of the opening 62 as at71 but the opposite edge of the web 70 is secured at 72 which isinwardly of the opening 63 and nearer the fold line F The point ofsecurement 72 is, however, still at a point spaced from the fold line Fto provide suflicient slack in the web to form a proper sling, whichhowever protrudes through the opening 62 only, in surrounding andretaining the article which, in this case, is the cylindrical bottle orvial suggested at 75 in FIGURE 11.

In folding the device shown in these figures, the panels 60 and 61 arebent along the fold line F and brought toward each other as clearlyshown in FIGURE 8, the base flap 64 being folded at right angles to thepanel 60 and the base flap 68 similarly folded at right angles to thepanel 61 and overlapping the base flap 64 to form a firm foundation forthe device. The somewhat circular ledge flap portion 65 extends from theopposite side of the structure to underlie substantially the greaterportion of the bottle or vial 75. During the folding movement the web 70extends through the opening 62 due to the slack permitted adjacent theportion 76 near the F3.

In FIGURE 9 of the drawings the blank itself is shown in final foldedposition and the differences in the widths of the openings 62 and 63 maybe clearly discerned. The positioning of the bottle or vial 75 is bestshown in FIGURES 10 and 11 of the drawings, the web 70 extending aroundthe greater portion of the bottle 75 and.

protruding from the opening 62, the rear portion of the bottle beingprevented from extending more than a short distance through the opening63. The completed arrangement is best shown in FIGURE 11 of the drawingswhere it will be seen that the article 75 is given a maximum of exposureon the display card. 7

The embodiments shown in FIGURES 1246 inclusive follow the sameprinciple as involved in the structures illustrated in FIGURES 711 butis designed to accommodate a bottle of quite odd shape and irregularcontour. The blank as a whole is designated B and is folded along theline F to form the panels 80 and 81. The larger opening 82 is formed inthe panel 81, and the smaller one 83 in the panel St). The web 90extends across the opening 82 and is secured at one end to a remoteportion of the panel 81 as at 85 and the other end is secured as at 86to a point on the panel 80 which is still spaced sufiiciently from thefold line F to furnish adequate slack in the sling to be provided by theweb 9%. A base fiap 88 is hinged as at 89 to the panel 8%) and is formedwith a counter-projection 92. to form a supporting ledge for thearticle, and a flap 93 is hinged as along the lines 94 to the lower edgeof the panel 81.

In FIGURE 13 it isclearly shown how the slack in the web moves away fromthe vicinity of the fold line F so that the web may protrude through theopening 82 in the panel 81.

The view in elevation (FIGURE 14) shows how the Web 90 accommodatesitself to the contour of the tapering bottle shown at 1th) in FIGURES land 16, and it is also readily perceptible from FIGURES 14 and 15 howthe opening 82 is of substantially greater width than the opening 83particularly over the main body portions thereof.

In FIGURE 15 it is clearly indicated how the bottle 1% with itsirregularly roughly-triangular shape protrudes from the opening 82 andis limited by the sling formed of the Web 9t) and how the rearwardportion of the bottle is prevented from passing all the way through theopening 83 due to the fact that it is wider than that opening.

The entire finished product afforded by this embodiment is illustratedto good advantage in the perspective comprising FIGURE 16 of thedrawings.

It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made inthe embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device for containing and supporting an article ofmerchandise, said device comprising a card folded along a lineintermediate its width to provide two panels which are disposed withtheir inward faces in contact when the card is doubled along the foldline; an opening through one of said panels of approximately theconfiguration of a. vertical cross-section. or profile of the article,but of slightly greater area, said opening being spaced completely fromsaid fold line; a thin, fiat,

planar, continuously single-ply flexible band having its endsrespectively secured to the inward surfaces of said panels-at only twopoints each spaced from the fold line, one of said points being on saidone panel outwardly of the remote edge of the opening therein, and theother point being on the other of said panels and spaced a predetermineddistance from said fold line, depending upon the size of the article sothat the band bridges without securement said opening, said fold line,and a considerable portion of the second named panel adjacent the foldline, and thus a certain amount of slack is provided in said band whenthe panels are brought inwardly into face to face contact, to form aflexible sling to envelop said article when the latter is disposedwithin said opening.

. 2. The display device as set forth in claim 1 in which said band is ofless dimension in the direction of extent of said fold line than that ofsaid opening, whereby said sling may pass freely through the opening.

i 3. A display device for containing and supporting an article ofmerchandise, said device comprising a card folded along a lineintermediate its width to provide twopanels which are disposed withtheir inward faces in contact when the card is doubled along the foldline; a separate opening through each of said panels of approximatelythe configuration of a vertical cross-section or profile of the article,at least one of said openings being of slightly greater area than saidcross-sectional area or profile, said openings being spaced equaldistances from the fold line whereby they are approximately in registrywhen the card is doubled; a" thin, fiat, planar, continuously single-plyflexible band having its ends respectively secured to the inwardsurfaces of said panels at only two points each spaced from the foldline, one of said points being on said one panel outwardly of the remoteedge of the opening therein, and the other point being on the other or"said panels and spaced a predetermined distance from said fold linedepending upon the size of the article, so that the band bridges withoutsecurement said opening, said fold line, and a considerable portion ofthe second named panel adjacent the fold line, and thus a certain amountof slack is provided in said band, when the panels are brought inwardlyinto face to face contact, to form a sling to snugly envelop saidarticle when the latter is disposed Within said openmgs.

4. The display device as set forth in claim 3 in which the said twopoints of securement of said band to the inward surfaces of said panelsare laterally outwardly of the respective openings therein as referredto the unfolded blank card, whereby the sling formed may extend acrossboth openings and envelop the portions of the article which may protrudethrough said openings, said band being of less dimension in thedirection of extent of said fold line than that of said opening, wherebysaid sling may pass freely through the opening.

5. The display device as set forth in claim 4 in which a third panel isinterposed between said first named panels when the device is brought tofolded condition, said third panel having an opening therein insubstantial registry with the openings in said first named panels butlarge enough to permit the easy passage of the article therethrough,said third panel intervening within the sling and having one lateralmargin spaced from the said fold line, whereby the slack in the sling islimited to prevent the passage of said sling with its contained articleall the way through either of the first named openings.

6. The display device as set forth in claim 4 in which a third panel issecured to at least one of said first named panels and interposedbetween said first named panels when the device is brought to foldedcondition, saidthird panel having an opening therein in substantialregistry with the openings in said first named panels but large.

enough to permit the easy passage of the articletherethrough, said thirdpanel intervening within the sling and having one lateral margin spacedfrom the said fold line but lying between said fold line and theadjacent inward margins of the openings in said first two panels,whereby the slack in the sling is limited to prevent the passage of saidsling with its contained article all the way through either of the firstnamed openings.

7. The display device as set forth in claim 4 in which said third panelis hinged to a margin of one of the first two panels which is adjacentthe said fold line.

8. The display device as set forth in claim 7 in which said third panelis formed integrally With the first named panel to which it is hinged bymeans of a crease line, the opening in said third panel being cut backalong its side margins up to said crease line, anda flap also hinged atfolded out at an angle to the plane of the device to provide a ledge forlending support to said article.

9. The display device as set forth in claim 3' in which one end of saidsling band is secured to the first of said two panels outwardly of theopening therein as viewed inunfolded condition while the opposite end issecured to the second panel inwardly of its opening but still spacedfrom the fold line, whereby the sling envelops I only one side of thearticle which protrudes through the opening in said first named panel,the opening in the second panel being somewhat smaller in area than thecross section of said article, said band being of less dimension in thedirection of extent of said fold line than that of said opening, wherebysaid sling may pass freely through the opening.

10. The display device as set forth in claim 9 in which the opening inthe second named panel is of smaller size than the widest verticalsection or profile of the article,

8 whereby the article is retained upon the one hand by the sling as itprotrudes through the first opening, and on the other hand by themargins of the narrower second opening as it protrudes partially throughthe latter opening, and is thus prevented from dislodgment from thedevice.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,423 12/49Snyder 206-78 3,018,879 1/62 Crane 20678 3,064,402 1/62 Crane 20678FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

EARLE A. DRUMMOND, GEORGE O. RALSTON,

Examiners.

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE FOR CONTAINING AND SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE OFMERCHANDISE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A CARD FOLDED ALONG A LINEINTERMEDIATE ITS WITDTH TO PROVIDE TWO PANELS WHICH ARE DISPOSED WITHTHEIR INWARD FACES IN CONTACT WHEN THE CARD IS DOUBLED ALONG THE FOLDLINE; AN OPENING THROUGH ONE OF SAID PANELS OF APPROXIMATELY THECONFIGURATION OF A VERTICAL CROSS-SECTION OR PROFILE OF THE ARTICLE, BUTOF SLIGHTLY GREATER AREA, SAID OPENING, BEING SPACED COMPLETELY FROMSAID FOLD LINE; A THIN, FLAT, PLANAR, CONTINUOUSLY SINGLE-PLY FLEXIBLEBAND HAVING ITS ENDS RESPECTIVELY SECURED TO THE INWARD SURFACES OF SAIDPANELS AT ONLY TWO POINTS EACH SPACED FROM THE FOLD LINE, ONE OF SAIDPOINTS BEING ON SAID ONE PANEL OUTWARDLY OF THE REMOTE EDGE OF THEOPENING THEREIN, AND THE OTHER POINT BEING ON THE OTHER OF SAID PANELSAND SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID FOLD LINE, DEPENDING UPONTHE SIZE OF THE ARTICLE SO THAT THE BAND BRIDGES WITHOUT SECUREMENT SAIDOPENING, SAID FOLD LINE, AND A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF THE SECOND NAMEDPANEL ADJACENT THE FOLD LINE, AND THUS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SLACK ISPROVIDED IN SAID BAND WHEN THE PANELS ARE BROUGHT INWARDLY INTO FACE TOFACE CONTACT, TO FORM A FLEXIBLE SLING TO ENVELOP SAID ARTICLE WHEN THELATTER IS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OPENING.